Traffic controlling system for railroads



July 8, 1941. w. K. HOWE TRAFFIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 29, 1938 co 0 O 7 \NE 0 mm ATTORNEY July 8, 1941. w. K. HOWE TRAFFIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented July 8, i941 Ul'l'E S PATENT GF F I'CE TRAFFIO CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Winthrop K. Howe, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester,

8 Claims. (or. 246-221) This invention relates to trafiic controlling de- Vices for railroads, and more particularly pertains to apparatus employedin the remote control of power operated tralck switches.

In the remote control of power operated track switches, it is desirable to have the power current for the switch machines controlled locally by suitable circuit controllers capable of handling the heavy currentsbut which circuit controllers in turn require but a relatively small amount of current to actuate them so that their control, bysuitable contacts on track relays, locking relays, and the like, may be easily effected through contacts that are much smaller and lighter. In View of this, the present invention proposes to provide a spring centered contactor for a switch machine which is readily capable of accomplishing the above mentioned purposes, which is reliable in its operation and which readily adapts itself to the characteristic controlling features required in the governing of power driven switch machines.

This application is a division of my application Ser. No. 187,689, filed January 29, 1938,

One objectof this invention is to provide such a circuit controller that energy is removed from both terminals of the switch machine motor circuit and also from the electro-magnetic brake associated with the motor to thereby eliminate the possibility of the motor creeping in theevent that one of its terminals become grounded.

Other objects, purposes and characteristic features of the present invention will be in part obvious from the accompanying drawings and in part pointed out as thedescription progresses. I

In describing the invention in detail reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the seveal views, and in which- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in perspective and with some parts broken away or spread apart for clearness, showing the principal operating parts of a switch machine having my improved circuit controllers applied thereto;

Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically how a switch machine for a single track switch is controlled by a switch control lever from a control station.

Although the specific form of this invention shownis directly applicable for use witha particular type of power operated switch machine such, for example, asthat shown in my prior Patent No. 1,466,903, dated September l; 1923,.

it is to be understood that with minor changes the invention can be: applied toxthe control of I track switches by various other types of switch machines.

With reference to the accompanying drawings,-

in Fig. 1', the movable switch points 2 of a single track switch have been illustrated as having been connected to a throw bar TR and a lock rod LR of the switch machine, and these parts have been shown to different scales for convenience and cle i ness. by an electric motor M of any suitable type,-such as the series wound direct current motor shown having an armature A and a field winding F.-

The shaft of the armature of the motor M drives a motor driven gear 5 journaled on afixed stud 6 through suitable reduction gearing, which comp-rises bevel pinion l meshing with a bevel gear 8 which drives a shaft 9 through a friction clutch 10 (shown enclosed). Pinion H on shaft 9 meshes with a gear l2 on a second shaft I3, and pinion M on the second shaft meshes with the main gear 5 to rotate that gear in one direction or the other, to change the position of the switch points 2, by changing the direction of rotation of the motor armature A.

A driving pin I5'is fastened eccentrically to the main gear 5 and extends downward therefrom to carry two freely revolving rollers I6 and H which cooperate with the edges of a laterally opening jaw or cam- H3 in the throw rod TR and the cam slot 19 in the lock plunger LP respectively. The locking plunger LP is guided by the stationary block 20 and other suitable means to allowsufiicient movement of that bar in a :longi tudinal direction. The locking plunger LP carries a lock'dog 2| arranged to engage behind the shoulders 22 after the track switch has been completely operated to either of the extreme positions, and another locking dog 23 secured to the locking plunger LP enters notches (not shown) in the lock rod LR when the associated track switch is in a full normal or full reversed position, thereby holding the throw bar and the lock rodin po'sition'to lock the switch points 2 in their last operative full normal or full reverse position.

The movement .of the armature A is prevented in my prior Patent .No. 1,852,574; dated April-5,-

The type of bralreshown in my prior Patent No. 1,852,574 and shown'in this disclosure-consists of a cup-shape-housing 24 at the back of which r is an energizing coil 25 which is held in place The switch machine isoperated' by a core member 26 threaded into the housing 24. An armature disc 27 is slidably secured to the housing in front of core member 26 so as to slide longitudinally to the right when the coil is energized and so a to be biased in a left-hand position by a spring 28. When in a left-hand position the disc 21 applies pressure against brake lining on a disc 29 which is secured to the end of the shaft of the armature A.

The circuit controllers for governing the operation of the switch machine comprise two distinctive units, one of which is an electrically operable controller which has its movable'contact block biased in a center position and which is mechanically independent of the operating mechanism of the switch machine, and the other of which is operated in accordance with the operation of the lock plunger LP and the point detector rods D. The first of the above units will be hereinafter referred to as the motor circuit controller and the second of the units will be referred to as the point detector contact mechanism. v

The motor circuit controller consists of two stationary contact blocks 39 constructed of suitable insulating material and's'ecured in place at opposite sides from a movable contact block 32, with resilient contacts 45 secured to each stationary block. The movable contact block 32 is a contactor constructed of insulating material having contact bars 33 secured thereto in such a manner that when'the movable block is operated to the right the contact bars can be used to close contacts on the right-hand stationary block for two independent circuits and in such a manner that when the movable block is operated to the left the contact bars can be used to close contacts on theleft-hand stationary block for two independent circuits. It is, of course, to be understood that other contact arrangements could as well be provided in accordance with specific conditions encountered in practice.

The movable contact block 32 is secured to the center of two solenoid piungers 31 which are constructed of magnetic material and extend horizontally between the opposite sides of the switch machine frame, and beneath the stationary contact blocks 30. A coil winding 39 is fitted over each end of the plungers 31. The movable contact block 32 is biased to mid-position, by

springs 42. l

The length of the coil windings and the length of the solenoid plungers is such that the plungers are attracted with maximum magnetic force to- The relays provided for the control of the switch machine (Fig. 2) are of standard construction, relays WZ, WZZ, and WP being of the polar neutral type while the remaining relays shown are neutral relays, some of which have been illustrated as having slow acting characteristics.

For the purpose of simplifying the illustration and facilitating in the explanation, the various parts and circuits constituting the embodiment of the invention have beenshown diagrammatically in'Fig. 2 and certain conventional illustrations have been employed, the drawings having been made more with the purpose of facilitating the disclosure as to the principles and mode of operation, than with the idea of illustrating the specific construction and arrangement of parts that would be employed in practice. Thus, the various relays and their contacts are illustrated in the conventional manner and symbols are used'to indicate connections to the terminals of batteries, or other sources of electric current, instead of showing all of the wiring connections to these terminals.

The symbols and are employed to indicate the positive and negative terminals respectively of suitable batteries, or other sources of direct current, and the circuits with which these symbols are used always have current flowing in the same direction. The symbols (B+) and (3-) indicate connections to the opposite terminals of a suitable battery, or other direct current source which has a central or intermediate tap designated (CN), and the circuits with which these symbols are used, may have current flowing in one direction or the other, depending upon the particular terminal used in combination with the intermediate tap (CN) When the switch machine SM is controlled in the manner shown, for example, in Fig. 2, the relays for the control of the switch machine are all in their normally energized position as shown, with the exception of relays LS and CL, and one of the correspondence relays.

The relay L is held in its energized position, under normal conditions with the signals governing traffic over that track switch at stop, and the track circuit unoccupied, from through a circuit including front contact I05 of signal at stop repeater relay MR, front contact ll of relay T, back contact 12 of relay GZ, front contact 13 of relay L, and winding of relay L, to

If the last operated position of the track switch TS was the normal position shown, relay NCR is energized, from through a circuit including polar contact 14 of relay WP in a left-hand position, front contact 15 of relay WP, front contact 16 of relay WZZ, polar contact I! of relay WZZ in a right-hand position and winding of relay NCR, to

If the operator wishes to reverse the track switch TS from the normal position shown, he may initiate such an operation by the operation of the switch control lever SML to a downward position. When lever SML is in a downward position relay WZ is energized by a circuit closed from (B) through a circuit including contact 18 of lever SML in a downward position, and winding of relay WZ, to (CN).

After the polar contacts of relay WZ shift from the normal position shown, relay WZZ is energized with negative polarity from (B) through a circuit including polar contact Bl of relay WZ in a left-hand position, front contact 80 of relay ward whichever of the windings 39 is energized. WZ, front Contact 19 f l y d wi din of relay WWZ, to (CN) The reversing of the polar contacts of relay WZZ opens the circuit for the control of relay NCR at polar contact 11.

The dropping of relay NCR closes a circuit for energizing relay LS, from through a circuit including, back contact 82 of relay RCR, back contact 83 of relay NCR, front contact 84 of relay L, front contact 850i relay T and winding of relay LS, to The picking up of relay LS closes a stick circuit through front contact 86 for shunting out the portion of the pick-up circuit including front contact 84 of relay L. V

The picking up of relay LS, when relay WZZ is energized with negative polarity, closesa circuit for energizing the reverse control windings RP of the motor circuit controller, from through a circuit including front contact 81 of relay LS, front contact 88 of relay .T, front contact 89 of relay WZZ, back contact 90 of relay OL, back contact 9| of relay L, front contact 92 of relay WZZ, polar contact 93 of relay WZZ in a left-hand position, wire RWR, contact Hit of the point detector contact mechanism, windings RP of the motor circuit controller, wire CW, and front contact 94 of relay LS, to

The energization of windings RP closes contacts on that motor circuit controller to energize the motor for operating the switch machine to a reverse position, from through a circuit including front contact 87 of relay LS, thermal resistor THR in multiple with the upper winding of overload relay OL, 'wire BW, contacts 95 of motor circuit controller, left contact 96 of motor circuit controller, brake BR, armature A, right contact 91 of motor circuit controller, contact98 of motor circuit controller, field winding F, crank circuit controller contacts CM, wire CW, and front contact 94 of relay LS,'to

As soon as the motor has operated the lock plunger LP (Fig. l) to an unlocked position, the entering of the foot 69 through the slot of the locking dog 23 causes the operation of the cradle carrying the movable contacts for the point detector contact mechanism, to a center position.

As soon as the motor has completed the operation of the track switch TS to a reverse and locked position, the restoration of the lock plunger LP to a normally locked position causes the cradle carrying the movable contact block forthe point detector contact mechanism to be operated to a reverse position, and by such operation to open the circuit for the control of windings RP at contact I96, thus allowing the contact block 32 of the motor circuit controller to be restored to its normal centrally biased position, so as to open both sides of the control circu-it'for the motor at contacts 95 and 98.

Ha'dan overload in the 'motcr control circuit occurred during the operation of the switch machine, the heating of the thermal resistor TI-IR would cause sufficient current to flow through the upper winding of relay OL to cause that relay to pick up, thus opening the operating circuit of the switch machine at back contacts ti! and 9|. The picking up of relay 0L closes a stick circuit for its lower winding, from through a circuit including front contacts 87 of relay LS, front contact 88 of relay T, front 'contact'89 of relay WZZ, front contactsii of relay OL, lower winding of relay 0L, front contact 99 of relay WZZ, resistance I09, and front contact '94 of relay LS, to

It is obvious from the stick circuit just traced that the overload relay 0L remains in a picked up position until the relay WZZ has been deenergized due to a change in the position of the control lever SML.

The opening of contacts 95 and 98 of the motor circuit controller at the end of the operation of switch machine SM causes both ends of the motor control circuit to be opened at a point close to the motor itself, and causes the brake BR to be applied to the armature A of that motor, so as to minimize the possibility of improper operation of the switch machine, due to the energization of the control wires from an extraneous source.

When the switch machine has completed its operation to a reverse locked position, the picking up of relay WP, when energized with reverse polarity, closes a circuit for energizing relay RCR, from through a circuit including polar contact 1'! of relay WZZ in a left-hand position, front contact 16 of relay WZZ, front contact 15 of relay WP, polar contact 14 of relay WP, in a right-hand position, and winding of relay RCR, to

The picking up of relay RCR opens the circuit for the control of relay LS at back contact 82, causing that relay to drop away and close the circuit for the control of signals provided for governing traffic over the track switch TS.

The dropping of relay LS also applies a shunt across the switch control wires CW and BW through a circuit including wire HM, in order to further provide cross protection for the switch machine.

The clearing of a signal for governing traffic over the track switch TS causes the deenergization of relay MR, which in turn causes the deenergization of relay L so as to close a circuit through its back contact for energizing relay WZZ with the polarity last applied to that relay, thus biasing the switch machine SM in its last operated position.

After the governing signal has been restored to a stop position, and after the detector track section has become unoccupied, a circuit is closed for energizing relay L from through a circuit including, front contact of relay MR, front contact H of relay T, back contact 12 of'relay GZ, polar contact I02 of relay WP in a right-hand position, polar contact 13 of relay WZ in a left-hand position, and winding of relay L, to

It is obvious that the above traced circuit for relay L could beclosed only when relays WPand WZ are in correspondence, thus making a change in the position of lever SML during the passage of a train through the detector track section, ineifective for changing the position of the track switch,'even after the train has left the detector tracksection, and providing a condition which is conveniently termed electric lock equivalent.

Having described in detail the operation of a track switch from a normal to a reverse position, it is obvious that a similar procedure is employed for causing the operation of the track switch from a reverse to a normal position and that the same principles and same mode of operation are employed.

A circuit has therefore been shown and describedfor providing various control and safety features essential to the control of a track switch located at a distant point from a control office, some of which features are summarized as follows:

Both sides of the circuit for the control of the switch machine motor are opened at the motor circuit controller when the switch machine is in either a normal or a reverse locked position, thus protecting the motor against energization if either crboth sides of themotor control circuit are extraneously energized between the motor circuit controller and the normal source of energy. Further cross protection is also provided by a shunt on the motor control circuit when the switch machine is in correspondence with the switch machine control lever in the control ofiice.

.Thebrake on the armature of the motor holds the operating mechanism in the last operated position, and the self-centering contact block on the motor circuit controller provides the same protection against extraneous energization of the brake in the same manner as that protection providedfor the motor.

The circuits provide for the biasing .of the track switch to its last operated position if at any time it should become unlocked, provided the detector track section is unoccupied.

The switch control lever must be in correspondence with the last operated position of the track switch, the signals must be at stop, and the detector track section must be unoccupied before a change in the position of that switchcontrol lever can cause a corresponding operation of the switch machine. 7

Having described circuits for and the construc tion of one particular type of switch machine as one specific embodiment of the present invention, it is desired to be understood that this form is selected to facilitate in the disclosure of the invention rather than to limit the number of forms which it may assume; and, it is to be fur ther understood that various modifications, adaptations and alterations may be applied tothe specific form shown to meet the requirements of practice, without in any manner departing'from the spirit or scope of the present invention except as limited by the appending claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a traffic controlling system for railroads, in combination, a power operated switch ma-- chine, an electrically operable circuitcontroller in said switch machine having normal, center and reverse positions, a winding for said normal,-

and a winding for said reverse, position, of said circuit controller, circuit means for energizing either said normal winding or said reverse winding, a solenoid core having one end slidable longitudinally within said normal winding and having the other end slidable longitudinally within said reverse winding, springs for biasing said core midway between said normal and reverse windings, a contactor secured to said core and operable to close normal contacts on said circuit controller when said core is attracted by the energization of said normal winding, to close reverse contacts on said circuit controller when said core is attracted by the energization of said reverse winding, and to open both normal and reverse contacts when both normal and reverse windings are deenergized, a circuit for energizing said switch machine with current of one polarity when said contactor is in said reverse position, a circuit causing the deenergization of said circuit controller when the switch machine has completed its operation in correspondence with the control circuit selected, and means for opening both sides of said switch machine control circuits when said contactor is in a central position.

2. In a trafiic controlling system for railroads, in combination, a power operated switch machine having a motor operating mechanism and an electrically operable circuit controller, a winding for a normal position of saidcircuit controller. a winding for a reverse position of said circuit controller, circuit means for energizing either the winding for said normal position or the winding for said reverse position, a contactor for said circuit controller magnetically attracted to a nor mal operating position when said normal winding is energized, and magnetically attracted to a reverse operating position when said reverse winding is energized, biasing means for automatically restoring the contactor to a mid-position when said normal and reverse windings are both .deenergized, a circuit for energizing said operating mechanism with current of one polarity when said contactor is in said normal position, a circuit for energizing said operating mechanism with current of the other polarity when said contactor is in a reverse position. means included in the operating mechanism of said switch machine for causing the deenergization of said circuit controller when said operating mechanism has completed its operation in correspondence with the selection of the circuits by said contactor, and means for opening both sides of the control circuit for said operating mechanism when said contactor is in its normally biased central position.

3. In switch control means, in combination, a power operated switch machine, a normal energizing circuit and a reverse energizing circuit for the machine, normal contacts and reverse contacts, respectively in said circuits, a three position heavy duty contactor in the machine, a normal relay and a reverse relay which when energized, respectively moves the contactor to close the normal and the reverse contacts, means biasing the contactor to open both normal and reverse contacts when the normal and reverse relays are both deenergized, a normal relay energizing circuit and a reverse relay energizing circuit for the normal and reverse relays respectively, a lock stick relay having'a contact for closing both the normal, and the reverse, energizing circuit, the energizing circuits for the switch machine including, in series, said heavy duty contactor and said lock relay contact.

4. In switch control means, in combination, a power operated switch machine, a normal energizing circuit and a reverse energizing circuit for the machine, normal contacts and reverse contacts, respectively, in said circuits, a three-position contactor in the machine, a normal relay and a reverse relay which when energized, respectively, moves the contactor to close the normal and the reverse contacts, means biasing the contactor to open both normal and reverse contacts when the normal and reverse relays are both deenergized, a normal relay energizing circuit and a reverse relay energizing circuit for the normal and reverse relays respectively, a lock stick relay having contacts for closing the normal and reverse relay circuits, an energizing circuit for the switch machine including, in series, said contactor and said lock relay contacts, and circuit means efiective, upon the switch machine completing its stroke and locking up, to cause the contactor to move to its biased position and the lock relay contacts to open the switch machine energizing circuit.

5. In switch control means, in combination, a power operated switch machine, a normal energizing circuit and a reverse energizing circuit for the machine, normal contacts and reverse contacts, respectively, in said circuits, a threeposition contactor in the machine, a normal relay and a reverse relay which when energized, respectively moves the contactor to close the normal and the reverse contacts, means biasing the contactor to open both normal and reverse contacts when the normal and reverse relays are both deenergized, a normal relay energizing circuit and a reverse relay energizing circuit for the normal and reverse relays respectively, a lock stick relay having contacts for closing both the normal and the reverse relay circuit, an energizing circuit for the switch machine including, in series, said contactor and said lock relay contacts, and circuit means effective, upon the switch machine completing its stroke and looking up, to cause the contactor to move to its biased position, and only subsequently thereto, and the lock relay contacts toopen the switch machine energizing circuit.

6. In switch control means, in combination, a power operated switch machine, a normal energizing circuit and a reverse energizing circuit for the machine, normal contacts and reverse contacts, respectively in said circuits, a three-position heavy duty contactor in the machine, a normal relay and a reverse relay which when energized, respectively moves the contactor to close the normal and the reverse contacts, means biasing the contactor to open both normal and reverse contacts when the normal and reverse relays are both deenergized, a normal relay energizing circuit and a reverse relay energizing circuit for the normal and reverse relays re spectively, a lock stick relay having a front contact for closing the normal and the reverse relay energizing circuits, the energizing circuit for the switch machine including, in series, said heavy duty contactor and said. lock stick relay front contact, a lock relay, a signal control circuit, a signal lever movable from a neutral to a control position, an energizing circuit for the lock relay open if the signal lever is not at neutral, the signal circuit including a back point of the lock stick relay, a pick-up circuit for the lock stick relay including a front point of the lock relay, and a stick circuit for the lock stick relay shunted across the front point of the lock relay, said normal and reverse relay circuits including a front point of the lock stick relay.

7. In a, switch and signal control system, in combination, a track switch, a power operated switch machine for moving the switch to normal and reverse positions, a switch control lever movable to close normal and reverse circuits for the machine, a lock relay, a lock stick relay, a signal control circuit, a signal lever movable from neutral to a control position, an energizing circuit for the lock relay closed only if the signal lever be at neutral and the approach track to the switch be not occupied, a source of energy, the lock stick relay for supplying energy from the source to the normal and reverse circuits when energized, a pick-up circuit for the lock stick relay including a front point of the lock relay, and a stick circuit for the lock stick relay shunted across the front point of the lock relay.

8. In a switch and signal control system, in combination, a track switch, a power operated switch machine for moving the switch to normal and reverse positions, a switch control lever movable to close normal and reverse circuits for the machine, a lock relay, a lock stick relay, a signal control circuit, a signal lever movable from neutral to a control position, an energizing circuit for the lock relay closed only if the signal lever be at neutral and the approach track to the switch be not occupied, a source of energy, the lock stick relay supplying energy from the source to the normal and reverse machine circuits when energized, a pick-up circuit for the lock stick relay including a front point of the lock relay, a stick circuit for the lock stick relay shunted across the front point of the lock relay, the signal control circuit including a back point of the lock relay and a back point of the lock stick relay, and circuit means effective, upon the switch being in an extreme position, to deenergize the lock stick relay.

WINTHROP K. HOWE. 

